Poems: 'Why the Snow Leopard Bites Its Tail'; 'Do Not Speak Punjabi.'

Thank you for stopping by! I teach drama, run a drama club, and write because I must.

Why the Snow Leopard Bites Its Tail

High up on the Hindu Kush,

There lived a silly snow puss,

His eyes as violet as Liz Taylor’s,

His coat as plush as the Queen’s,

Yet unhappy because his tail,

Furry, floofy, and long as a rail,

Looked like a bad Photoshop Fail.

Seeing cats like Palmerston and Larry,

He’d say, ‘Ah, what a burden I carry!’

He did not think, ‘It looks like a snake

That I could use to charm markhor

Or as a broom to sweep the floor.’

Instead he thought, ‘It looks as fake

As Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.

I’m going to bite right through it

Until its size is a perfect fit.’

Humans would look at that cat

Nomming on its tail and wonder,

‘Why does a snow leopard do that?’

Don’t be like that silly hillbilly creature:

Your ‘biggest flaw’ may be your best feature.

Do Not Speak Punjabi

This is an attempt to write a multilingual poem. You can find far better examples in South Asian literature, where rhyming poems sometimes have entire lines in very different languages like Arabic, Persian, and Urdu.

Despite having the largest numbers of speakers of any Pakistani language, Punjabi is not used as a medium of education in my country; its use is generally frowned upon in polite society; even those who use it in daily life, like my parents, switch to Urdu in writing.

© 2020 Anya Ali

Comments

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on September 04, 2020:

@Mark: Thank you!

Mark Tulin from Ventura, California on September 04, 2020:

Funny poem. The last two lines brought it together.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on June 19, 2020:

@S A Krishnan: Thank you very much!

SA Krishnan on June 18, 2020:

Nice!

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on March 31, 2020:

@Manatita: That makes me happy. Thank you so much!

manatita44 from london on March 31, 2020:

Funny again. You make me smile. Especially the sec ond one.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on March 01, 2020:

@John: Thank you! Keep smiling!

John Hansen from Queensland Australia on March 01, 2020:

Both interesting poems both brought a smile. Good work, Bushra.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 26, 2020:

@Brenda: Thank you!

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on February 26, 2020:

Here is the link to it.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=117568...

Thanks for sharing.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 25, 2020:

@Brenda: Yes, you can. Thank you!

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on February 25, 2020:

I could not find where you posted comment on hubpages forum, but I found your work on letterpile.

Here is the link.

https://letterpile.com/poetry/Why-the-Snow-Leopard...

You may post work on Sparklecity Poetry Group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1017041218668840/

May I also post some of your work on poets with a voice?

I would love to post some of your work on Poets with a voice.

https://www.facebook.com/poetswithavoice/

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on February 25, 2020:

Bushra,

This is a good little write.

Your biggest flaw may be your best feature....what a great lesson to point out.

Great write.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 13, 2020:

@Peggy: Indeed, it often is. Thank you!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on February 13, 2020:

That is a good lesson for everyone to read. What we perceive as a flaw may be just the thing that makes us special.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 11, 2020:

@kashif: Thank you!

kashif ghinna on February 11, 2020:

your biggest flaw may be ur best feature' .......food for thought

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 04, 2020:

@Linda: Thank you!

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on February 04, 2020:

"Your biggest flaw may be your best feature" is such an important idea. The eyes of the snow leopard in the photo are very interesting!

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 04, 2020:

@MG Singh: Thank you!

MG Singh emge from Singapore on February 04, 2020:

Lovely poem and I liked it.

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 04, 2020:

@Komal: Thank you!

Komal Baloch on February 04, 2020:

I love it Teacher especially this line with broad vision "Your "biggest flaw" may be your best feature"

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 03, 2020:

@Mahvish: Thank you!

Mahvish Iqbal Awan from muzaffarabad azad kashmir on February 03, 2020:

Waaoo amazing how beautifully you write...Nd comparison was awesome

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 03, 2020:

@Uzma: LOL!

Uzma on February 03, 2020:

Spot on ! Well said! The snow leopard needs a reality dose and the Punjabi also needs to stop chewing off his language .

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 03, 2020:

@Kyler: Thank you!

Kyler J Falk from California on February 03, 2020:

Your social references never cease to make me chuckle. Superb humor on this one!

Anya Ali (author) from Rabwah, Pakistan on February 03, 2020:

@Lorna: Thank you so much.

Lorna Lamon on February 03, 2020:

Such an enjoyable read which made me smile. The poem flows beautifully.